(WIP) Fragment 0-A: "A Rare Degree of Talent"

After the tournament, Elysian had quickly been taught other wargames by the older riders of House Delmont due to his reputation in chess. Before very long he had tried his hand at cornerstones, kismet, centerpiece, snailshell, fox, and starstones, and shown that his precocious skill applied to each of these. Inina Kadesi, now promoted from a hapshan to a tribune, had come into the cave with Uhin on one of his visits to check on the hatchlings mere days after his first game against Cyprian Mesmer.

Elysian was leaning his chin on his elbows, peering over the border of the nest, and Terebridys sat perched on his back with her front feet on his shoulders and her tail resting softly on his spine. The tip of her snout was close to his cheek, so that the warm breath of the dragonling caressed one side of his face, and the way her wings extended half-spread from his shoulders almost made it look like they had melded together.

Tribune Kadesi's boots clacked on the cave floor when she climbed down from the tip of Uhin's great tail, and her green-plumed helmet clanked once against the edge of her gauntlet when she tucked it under her arm.

Inina wore plates of steel armour that glinted the colour of moonlight in the glow of Terebridys' flame. The long braid of her hair dropped like a rope down her back when the helmet came off, and though he had seen all of this before Elysian still could not help but find her impressive despite her short stature. The small spray of fire Terebridys had given in greeting ended, and the glitter of the crystals slept in darkness once again, almost expectantly. Lysi, able to see in the dark as dragonriders did, could still make out the outlines of the large quartz points from where he lounged amid the dragon eggs.

Inina cleared her throat. "Elysian."

He peered up into her face, and the entire world seemed to hold its breath, or at least the entire crystal cave. "Tribune?"

"You beat the winner of the entire chess tournament. I'm glad you didn't come in time to play in it or the other Houses may have thought we were cheating. It's no secret here, nor is it likely to remain a secret throughout the Council lands for much longer, that you have a rare degree of talent."

The small child continued to gaze up at her, unmoving, trying to read her expression despite the dimness and distance. The tip of Terebridys' tail began to flick back and forth as a moment of awkward silence passed between boy and warleader.

"Elysian, you know that I shall watch out for you. Uhin is nest-guardian to your Terebridys, and thus in a way you are as my kid brother or my own child. Furthermore, you are a member of House Delmont and my position therefore demands that I put your well-being before my own."

Lysi was not used to Inina's words being so formal, almost clumsily so, nor to her demeanour being so awkward and stiff. As children are wont to do, he grew nervous upon sensing something was off, and it took him two tries to speak.

"Please, tell me what's happened."

"Have you ever thought of using that brain of yours for... decisions with an impact off of the game board?" inquired Inina, silently praying all the while that he was not too young to grasp her meaning without further explanation.

Lysi reflected on it for a moment, then turned his eyes back up to her and sincerely said, "No."

"Well." He did not perceive Inina swallowing nervously, but it happened. "The other kids like you. They listen to what you have to say."

One blond eyebrow lifted in response. He thought about it for a moment. "Erm, yes. They do, Tribune."

"I think in a time of uncertainty, people might listen to you. Even sometimes when they don't like what you're telling them. And I think you could and would steer them safely out of danger with that brilliant mind." Inina cleared her throat. "If you will agree to do it, of course."

It was Terebridys who spoke next. |And just what,| demanded the hatchlng, |are you asking?|

Inina pawed at the cave floor with the toe of her boot, making a scritching sound over the stone. "Elysian, Terebridys. Would you… Will you begin your training to someday lead our army?"

"What will become of us if we do, Tribune Inina?" He shifted onto one elbow to look up into her face, as if for reassurance.

Before the imperious officer could open her mouth to answer, Terebridys added in a darker tone. |And what happens if we don't?|

Inina shifted from one hip to the other, and her fingers toyed with the end of her braid. "Well... If you do, you'll be revered someday. Terebridys, you'll learn aerotactics first, and Elysian, you'll start with close combat." Now Elysian's usually-halcyon gaze pierced her, sharpened by the unspoken admission that she did not know what they would be asked to do next. "And if... you don't. Then the Imperators have decreed that you shall no longer belong to House Delmont. You would have to leave."